Abbas only condemned murder of 4 Jews
because of international pressure -

just like Arafat

To justify why Abbas condemned this morning's murders,
Fatah publicized a video today that PMW had exposed
in which Arafat's bodyguard explained that Arafat was lying
when he condemned terror attacks

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Following the Palestinian Authority's condemnation of this morning's terror attack in which 4 Jews were murdered while praying in a Jerusalem synagogue, Abbas' Fatah showed on its official Facebook page that Abbas' condemnation is not sincere.

Fatah explained Abbas' condemnation of the murders by using Palestinian Media Watch documentation showing Arafat's bodyguard explaining that Arafat would lie and condemn terror attacks due to international pressure to do so, but that "it wasn't true."

[Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", Nov. 18, 2014]

Arafat's bodyguard: "Whenever an operation (i.e., terror attack) was carried out in Tel Aviv, Arafat would go out and say [he condemned it] - of course, after pressure. First and foremost [from Egyptian] President Mubarak. He would call brother Arafat and tell him: "Brother Arafat, go and condemn it, they'll screw you." [Arafat] would tell him: "But Mr. President, I have Martyrs - they [Israel] destroyed us, they massacred us." [Mubarak] would tell him: "Brother Arafat, go and condemn [it]. They'll screw you." Brother Arafat would go and condemn it in his special way: I am against killing civilians - and that wasn't true." [BBC Arabic YouTube channel, April 1, 2014]

Fatah posted this text with the video: "For those who argue with Fatah: Why the PA condemns self-sacrifice operations!" [Facebook, "Fatah - The Main Page", Nov. 18, 2014]

This shows that Fatah needed to justify the fact that Abbas, heading both the PA and Fatah, issued a condemnation in the name of the PA. Arguing that the reason Abbas issued the condemnation is the same reason Arafat condemned the killing of civilians - namely international pressure - Fatah states that Abbas' condemnation is not sincere.

Shortly after this post appeared on the Fatah Facebook page the content became unavailable.

Note on the terror attack this morning: On Nov. 18, 2014, two Arab terrorists, Ghassan and Uday Abu Jamal, from East Jerusalem, entered a synagogue in Jerusalem and attacked worshipers with guns, knives and axes, killing 5 and injuring 7, 3 of them seriously. The terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli Security Forces that arrived on the scene.

The following is a longer excerpt of the interview with Arafat's bodyguard explaining how the condemnations of terror attacks were not sincere:

TV host: "How can someone be a radio and TV engineer and agree to be the bodyguard of a public personality, even if it is Yasser Arafat?"

Arafat's bodyguard Muhammad Dayeh: "As far as I'm concerned, even if I was a doctor and he had asked me to work for him as a cook - I would have worked for Arafat. My father and mother taught me - I suckled love for Arafat from my mother's milk. We love Arafat passionately."

TV host: "[Former Israeli PM Ariel] Sharon called Arafat a pathological liar, and many politicians who knew Arafat say he excelled at lying."

Bodyguard: "[Our] religion permits lying in three cases: to settle between two people - religion allows you [to lie] in order to settle between two people."

TV host: "For reconciliation."

Bodyguard: "Someone whose wife isn't pretty, [can] say, 'You're the most beautiful woman in the world'; and the third [case] is in politics - you can lie."

TV host: "Do you agree with this?"

Bodyguard:"Yes, yes."

TV host: "He would lie in front of you."

Bodyguard: "Yes. Arafat, yes. For example, whenever an operation (i.e., terror attack) was carried out in Tel Aviv, Arafat would go out and say [he condemned it] - of course, after pressure. First and foremost [from Egyptian] President Mubarak. He would call brother Arafat and tell him: "Brother Arafat, go and condemn it, they'll screw you." [Arafat] would tell him: "But Mr. President, I have Martyrs - they [Israel] destroyed us, they massacred us." [Mubarak] would tell him: "Brother Arafat, go and condemn [it]. They'll screw you." Brother Arafat would go and condemn it in his special way: I am against killing civilians - and that wasn't true."